1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of certifications and accreditation (C&A) and, more particularly, to a computer-implemented system method and medium for certification and accreditation that assesses the risk of and/or determines the suitability of a target system to comply with at least one predefined standard, regulation and/or requirement.
2. Background Description
The general purpose of C&A is to certify that automated information systems adequately protect information in accordance with data sensitivity and/or classification levels. In accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5200.40, dated Dec. 30, 1997, entitled DoD Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, certification can be defined as the comprehensive evaluation of the technical and non-technical features of an information technology (IT) system and other safeguards, made in support of the accreditation process, to establish the extent that a particular design and implementation meets a set of specified security requirements. Similarly, as used herein, accreditation can be defined as a formal declaration by a designated approving authority that an IT system is approved to operate in a particular security mode using a prescribed set of safeguards at an acceptable level of risk. In general DISTSCAP is utilized by the DoD for identifying and documenting threats and vulnerabilities that pose risk to critical information systems. DITSCAP compliance generally means that security risk posture is considered acceptable and that potential liability for system “owners” is mitigated.
The C&A process typically involves a number of policies, regulations, guidelines, best practices, etc. that serve as C&A criteria. Conventionally, the C&A process is typically a labor intensive exercise that can require multiple skill sets over a period of time typically spanning 6-12 months. There can be, for example, several organizations and/or individuals that may be involved in the processes of selecting applicable standards, regulations and/or test procedures, and assembling test results and other information into a DITSCAP compliant package. There is therefore a need to substantially streamline and expedite the security C&A process in a computer based application that substantially automates the process of performing security risk assessments, certification test procedure development, system configuration guidance, and residual risk acceptance.